There’s something strange and it don’t look good. . .
No, it’s not a macabre Halloween rite. Death Café and Death Dinners are a new trend in our culture modeled on similar gatherings occurring in European cities since 2004. One group of students and faculty at the University of Washington has launched an initiative called “Let’s Have Dinner and Talk about Death.” Somewhat surprising that busy students would be interested in the topic of death with so many things competing for their time. It certainly represents a significant change in our culture. There is lots of information available if you Google Death Dinners or Death Over Dinner.
I now have an updated Will so that’s another item that can be checked off the To-Do list. Our sons won’t have any trouble with the Advanced Directives as they’re spelled out in the Will just as they were when the Rose Man was being kept alive artificially and the doctors agreed that he would not recover. And I am confident that level heads and cooperation will prevail among the brothers in disposing of the “estate” just as it was with my brother after our mother died. No heavy karmic lessons needed there.
But what about a Memorial Service or where to have the ashes scattered? In addition to writing my own obituary, should I write out specific instructions of my wants? Does it matter in the end? I think it might. One friend shared after reading the previous Blog that she is composing a thank you letter to her children to be read at her service. Does all this sound like interesting table talk or too upsetting? One woman invited her family to a death dinner with instructions that all had to wear mustaches. It was funny and broke the tension. I’m compiling a folder with all the instructions I can think of that the guys will need for notifying people and institutions after my death and they are already on my bank account should the need arise at any time. Death is complicated and emotional, not the best time to be making difficult decisions. So . . .
Dinner anyone? My house?
There’s something strange and it don’t look good . . . Who’re you gonna call?
GHOSTBUSTERS!
HAPPY HALLOWEEN
rosesinjanuarydotcom 